The Raven's Broken Looking Glass
by bloodypleasure
Summary: A AU Fiction. sometimes people that break together can stay together better GazettE. Kai and Ruki abused.


_**The Raven's Shattered Looking Glass**_

**1**

The room played soft and slow music as a dyed dirty blond sighed, he swiped his hands over the canvas, previously covered with a reddish maroon color. It mixed now with what was already on the canvas, the sapphire streaks mixing with the vermillion and fuchsia streaks. The paint was thin, covering the back of a man without a shirt and low riding jeans, leanly muscled with arms raised and muscles standing out as the hands rested between the man's naked shoulder blades. As a black and white ink drawing the only colors were the artistic sweeps of color wash. The short almond eyed man sighed again, rubbing his cheek red and fuchsia. Behind him the classroom was empty; the art room filled with empty easels and tables holding drying projects, half done projects and sculptures. Sitting on the stool behind him, the large white smock he wore seemed to make his already small slender body seem even tinier. Behind him the door opened and a teen holding a white bowl covered in wrap walked in. Ruki turned at the sound of the teen's entry and smiled slightly as the teen nodded gesturing to the table with the bowl. Ruki turned to wash his hands in the sink, sitting across the rectangular tables from the teen as the bowl was uncovered.

"I figured we'd share it, not like either of us can take it home." The teen's voice was low, and Ruki smiled looking in the bowl and breathing in a cinnamon smell.

"What is it?" Ruki asked and the teen chuckled as he stood to get a clean wooden board, intending to use it as a plate. Kai found one lightly stained with paint, and Ruki nodded assuring its cleanliness when the teen held it up. Sitting down with the foot long square board he ran his hands nervously through dark brown hair.

"It's something they call 'monkey bread' in America, the chef taught us it today. And," The teen put the board over the top of the bowl and snuck a glance at the shorter blond. "You're gonna _love_ this Ruki." The brunette quickly flipped the bowl over and took it away with a flourish, a slight squelching sound and the bowl popped free as the cinnamon bread thunked on the board. Ruki laughed and the teen smiled.

"So how do I eat this Kai?" Ruki asked as he looked over the knobbly bread. Kai smiled widely and tore a lump off and popped it in his mouth as his dark almond eyes glimmered with mirth. Ruki stared at him for a minute before grinning and doing the same. "This is awesome! Kai you're a good cook!" Ruki grinned at his friend as Kai leaned to the side to see the painting.

"So that's why you haven't gone home yet." Kai murmured and Ruki turned to look at the painting, getting up and turning it. "Who is it?" Kai asked, not being able to tell from the back and medium hair. "Why is his hair so long? Did you imagine him?" Kai asked and Ruki chuckled slightly. "What's so funny?" Kai turned back to Ruki to notice Ruki had a slightly pink flush to his face. "So you used a model, but since he's not wearing- Oh you perverted little-!" Kai grunted as Ruki roughly pushed at him from the other side of the table. "So?"

"He's a new kid in my art class. He does sculpture. And I _didn't_ imagine him _naked_." Ruki defended himself and Kai melodramatically choked on his bite of bread.

"What?! You had-" Ruki threw a piece of bread at him.

"No! He got clay on his shirt because all the smocks were taken and just took it off." Ruki ignored Kai's hum. "I'm not a pervert." Ruki muttered and Kai frowned. "Anyway I need to go home, any longer and I'm going to get in trouble." Ruki stood and sighed. "Besides, with all our interaction with him and his _friend_ in your class…I hardly doubt we'll be friends." Kai chuckled slightly. They did have a little trouble in the beginning, though it was better now.

"Ruki, are you ready yet?" The woman who called to him started to walk down the hall to his room before the door opened. Ruki walked out in a loose white button up shirt and loose black slacks. "Where's your tie Ruki?" The blond paused; holding up a finger he wordlessly turned back to his room and left it moments later with a plain black tie. "Okay, hurry so you don't be late." Ruki nodded as he yawned and took his backpack from next to his door.

"You tell me that every day." Ruki slipped on thick soled black and white shoes, covertly slipping the contents of his left shoe into his hand as he situated the tongue of the shoe. "I'm leaving. Bye." Ruki waved once and the woman sighed waving back then getting ready for her husband who would wake in a few moments. Ruki closed the door behind him, eager to leave before his father woke. Outside of his house Ruki slid his hands into his pockets and walked toward his school, once he turned the corner slipping his hands out and untangling the cords and ear buds of his music player. Tucking the player back into his pocket Ruki walked along with his ears full of rhythm and bass lines. Ruki hummed along with it as Kai came up behind him, on his way to the school as well. Ruki didn't see his friend as he walked, Kai smirked and tapped a shoulder, as Ruki turned Kai quickly ducked so Ruki wouldn't see him and tapped the other. As Ruki turned again with a frown Kai repeated himself. "The heck?" Ruki muttered.

"Boo!" Kai shot up and laughed as Ruki shouted. "Did I scare you?" Kai joked leaning on his friend with an arm. "I'm sorry, but that was too fun." Kai apologized, though Ruki still punched lightly at his side. "Come on, take off the headphones!" Kai shouted at Ruki cupping his hands around his mouth. Ruki winced and pulled the headphone on Kai's side down.

"How are you happy?" Ruki asked and a shadow fell over Kai's face. Ruki held up his hands and shook at Kai's shoulders. "Kai, it was a joke!" Both of them jumped as they moved to cross a street and two motorcycles zoomed past on the road. All Ruki could see of one was black and hints of red before a silver one zoomed past as well skidding to a stop next to the darker motorcycle. The one on the silver motorcycle took off the helmet, revealing a man with a light grey paisley design on the white cotton strip covering his nose.

"Hey! Do you know where Shari High is?" The man asked and Kai and Ruki looked at each other for a moment. Kai, in the tiniest of motions, moved closer to Ruki who frowned.

"Why are you asking us? Why do you even want to know?" Ruki confronted them and the motorist raised a brow looking at the other biker who just shrugged.

"We need to get to Shari, just tell us where it is." The man prompted in his low baritone voice. Ruki shook his head and walked on, Kai following meekly behind. The man groaned and smacked the tank of his cycle before revving the engine and popping the curb in front of them, this time addressing Kai. "Come on, we don't want trouble, we got wrong directions and if we don't hurry we might be late." Kai couldn't quite meet the dark brown eyes of the man, slightly shocked by the man's appearance, softly spiked blond hair, lighter than Ruki who had a dirty blond light brown color to his hair. His eyes had black kohl around them, almost covering a freckle near his right eye. Kai felt plain by comparison, the only other person he knew that put make-up on for fashion was Ruki, who regularly lined his eyes in black once he got to school.

"The school doesn't open for another half an hour, you won't be late." Kai spoke clearly and didn't wait for the man to reply, just continued quickly on his way, grabbing Ruki's forearm.

Kai groaned slightly as he lay in his bed, his sides were covered in bruises curling on him-self in a darkly stained tee shirt and his light colored boxer briefs. His back ached painfully as fresh bruises were already starting to turn purple. His almost lanky slim legs were battered as well, leaving one to wonder how many bruises were hidden by the baggy shirt. Kai moaned in pain his legs curling closer to him. The door to his room opened slowly and Kai jolted his legs close to himself and clenched his arms near his face, hoping that whoever entered would think he was fast asleep and leave. As a rough large hand ran up his spine Kai could feel terror and misery enter him. His father never left, not till he was done with what he was there for. Whether its beatings or, Kai couldn't help the shiver of disgust as his fathers' hands slithered up his bare bruised back. Or the worse parts of his nights at home.

"I know you're awake you little shit." His father's voice was rough, harsh, and smelled of scotch. "Look at me you gay fuck." His father grabbed his jaw and Kai tugged away, his thin frame getting forcibly turned to face his father. Kai brought his legs up to kick at the man's large chest; his father was by no means a thin man, one of his hands easily held Kai's thin wrists.

"Let me go!" Kai yelled and writhed against the man. His hands were gripped tighter and his body forced over. Kai fought back angry tears, never one to cry from frustration the situations of his house drew him scarily close to it. "Let me go!" Kai screamed and he was hit hard against his head. He felt something hot and hard against his back as his father dry humped his backside.

"You like this don't you? You little fucker, I bet you keep yourself nice and firm just so you can feel me huh?" Kai could feel bile rise in his throat as his father bit his shoulder, groaning in lust. Kai thought instead of the painting, of Ruki, of the idea of living somewhere he wasn't treated like this. After what seemed like years to Kai his father discharged on his back, smearing the semen into Kai's exposed skin. "You gay little spit-fuck." He slurred. As soon as the door shut behind the man Kai knew he would get no sleep tonight, and no rest from his demons tomorrow. Peeling the newly stained shirt Kai threw it from him and searched for something to make him feel less, violated. He came across a painting, a rather small canvas, no bigger than four inches by six inches. Ruki had painted the two of them, Kai's smiling face next to Ruki's, both of them holding up peace signs, photo realistic, you could tell from the placement of Kai's left arm that he was the one to take the picture on the camera Ruki used as reference. Kai sat back against his bed, really just a mattress on the floor, and rubbed the glass pane that protected the front, the plain black metal frame cool in his hands. Kai ran a hand across his own smiling face. His face a mask and he stared at the painting before breaking into harsh violent sobs that were only half muffled by his arms, missing the soft steps away from his door, that of his mother that came much too late to help her son against the man she married.

"So," The spiked blond leaned closer to Kai as he sat next to him in his history class. "What's your name?" Kai's face was a mask and he didn't even turn to the blond as he stared blankly at the board in the front, half his mind focused on taking notes, the other half focused on his imaginary paradise where when he went home, he was alone. "Hey." The blond poked at Kai's upper arm and Kai hissed in pain and recoiled harshly.

"Why are you touching me?!" Kai asked loudly and the teacher in the front of the class coughed as he turned from the board to the two.

"Am I interrupting?" The teacher asked and Kai shook his head looking at his the teacher turned to the board again Kai heard a small ripping sound and a small folded page of white notebook paper sailed onto the page of the book he was looking at. Kai silently unfurled the page and read in slightly messy handwriting _'Did I hurt you?'_ Kai crumpled the paper up and tossed it back. Moments later another passed on the page. _'Why won't you talk to me?'_ Kai crumpled the page and left it on his desk. Now it was lightly folded scraps, apparently the blond didn't want to waste papers when Kai wasn't going to reply. _'Name's Reita. What's yours?'_ Kai looked at the blond and as they caught eyes Kai could feel nothing but a slightly dead emotional barrier, as he always did after being 'loved' by his father. After long moments Kai turned back to the front and stood. The teacher turned at the noise of his chair scraping back and sighed. "Yes?"

"I might throw up; can I go to the nurse please?" Kai asked politely and the teacher glanced at Reita, as if he thought he was tormenting Kai. The teacher nodded and Kai bowed slightly, taking his things with him after looking like he was making a quick note on a paper. Leaving it behind Kai left the room and headed to where he knew Ruki was. Reita sighed watching Kai leave, before noticing he had written on the paper that held his second note. _'Never talk to me again, I don't need friends.'_

"Kai?" Ruki turned as he saw Kai walking in, then as he caught a glimpse of something dark on Kai he swore heavily, the teacher didn't hear him but the teen next to him with long dark hair and suspiciously similar build as Ruki's painting did. Kai walked to Ruki and pulled a chair up, ignoring the teacher telling him to go. Ruki swirled to face the teacher, his dark eyes turning a shade away from black as he glared, barely blinking at the teacher. The teacher paused, looking like he was going to say something. "Give me a reason, I dare you." Ruki almost growled out the sentence, his voice lower than his normal voice and aggressive as a cornered panther. The teacher quickly decided he could do with an extra person in the class as he moved back to his desk. The long raven haired teen eyed the two as he pretended to keep working on his small vase, painting small delicate pink blooms on the white half-baked porcelain vase almost ready for the kiln. "Kai, did he do it again?" Kai nodded slowly and Ruki glared as those that passed by, the dark haired teen, being close enough to hear Kai and Ruki as he sat at the table stood and walked past the student that snickered at Kai. Not caring that Ruki was watching with angry eyes the teen leaned over with a deadpan face and smashed his hand on the detailed painting the student was doing, smearing it to a muddy mess with his hand. Then the teen wiped his hands on the students smock and whispered something in his ear that made the student go pale. Ruki frowned at the exchange but quickly returned his attention to Kai. "What can I do?" Ruki asked and Kai laughed slightly.

"Can I watch you draw?" Kai asked softly knowing that was something Ruki hated. Ruki bit at his lip before nodding quickly. Kai waited as Ruki set the barely started painting of a glossy jet black raven away to dry; as he cleaned his station quickly the other teen silently went back to drawing the flowers on the small vase. Ruki sat next to Kai after moving the teen to the table that the raven was sitting at. Kai looked up with a small shuddering breath as Ruki looked around the room for something to draw. Kai looked at the raven haired teen and noted something familiar in his eyes as he glanced up quickly at the two sitting across from him. "Cherry blossoms and lotuses." Kai commented and Ruki frowned slightly as the teen looked up. "Why?"

"Because I can and want to." The raven answered simply at Kai's question. Kai shifted slightly and Ruki cautiously held back his biting remark as Kai lost some of his beaten dog look.

"What's your name?" Kai asked and the teen sat back slightly, setting down his pastel pink tipped brush. Kai didn't back down and stared evenly at him.

"Aoi." The teen suddenly stood and held out his hand, Ruki opened his mouth to tell him it was useless but stopped as Kai rose and shook Aoi's hand.

"Kai." Kai replied just as simply, a small part of him enjoying the other's respect for his boundaries, not asking if he was okay, or making small talk as Aoi went back to painting. "It would be easier if you pulled your hair back." Kai commented as Aoi's chest length hair continuously got in his way. Chuckling Aoi pulled a dark brown hair tie that matched his dark tresses and pulled the top half back. "Will you let him draw you?" Kai asked and the two looked at the other in shock. Kai obviously wasn't aware of their, or at least Ruki's resentment of the other. Ruki sighed and as Aoi stared at him, waiting to see if Ruki agreed. Ruki set out eight to ten drawing pencils and took a light sketching pencil.

"Only if you tell me why me." Aoi answered and Ruki could feel something like small pin pricks of irritation. Kai shifted to sit more comfortably on the chair.

"Because you look like you've had the experience of being helpless against someone too." Ruki felt a twinge of pain and looked down; unaware that the same look flashed across Aoi's face as well. "Do you agree?" Kai asked and Aoi nodded. Ruki set about sketching the taller man, already practiced once, though only Kai knew this.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Aoi asked, throwing the two off. "You're limping." Kai felt his left shoulder and sighed and shook his head as Aoi looked up at him with an unaffected look on his face, as if he was talking about Kai handing him a can of paint. "No shame in admitting you need help." Aoi muttered quietly so only the other two could hear him. Ruki gripped his pencil in anger, at himself for not being able to help his friend and that a stranger probably could help more than he.

"What do you know about what he's going through?" Ruki asked before Kai calmly shushed him. "Kai…" Ruki grew quiet, continuing to draw, though sulking as he did so. Aoi noted that Ruki didn't have to look up often, his dark but sharp eyes seeming to see what Aoi wasn't ready to show anyone. Kai watched Ruki relax into the familiar art of drawing. Starting more than one drawing Kai and Ruki didn't notice as Aoi finished the vase, it's delicate beauty something that Aoi didn't look like he could do. Aoi set it aside for the white glaze and the painted glaze flowers to dry before he stuck it back in the kiln to finish. Ruki jolted slightly when he looked up again and Aoi sat with his hands covering his plump lips and his shadowed eyes staring at him, intensified by the slight kohl and black shadow. Kai noticed Ruki grew self-conscious under the ravens stare and debated dully what that would mean.

Ruki sighed as he walked into the house, already knowing from the dark blue compact car that his father was home. Ruki disliked staying in his house; his father's eyes followed him with a disapproving stare, as if he was waiting for him to fail. He had his father's hair a soft dark brown, though Ruki dyed his lighter. Sitting in the living room at his mother's offer, Ruki picked the small plate of treats his mother had made for him.

"When are you going to stop playing the rebel? And is that make-up?" Ruki touched his cheek lightly realizing that with the trouble of Kai and that guy _Aoi_, he had forgotten to wash it off. "Are you going to cross-dress now?" Ruki felt the slight dull pain he always felt when his father started talking to him. Only a handful of times in his life had his father shown affection to anyone and Ruki was not one of the few. Ruki couldn't even remember the last time his father had even spoken his name. "Well are you going to talk?" He asked, Ruki mentally sighed again.

"Why should I when you already have all the answers you want?" Ruki asked almost bitterly, feeling something like pent up frustration. His life was changing, and Ruki couldn't change its direction. His mother smiled and tried to loosen the tension in the air.

"At least if he dresses like a woman he'd be an attractive girl. That's a blessing." Ruki almost smiled at his mother's kind joke. His father stood from the couch, crossing the small distance from his couch to where Ruki sat. His hand was harsh and hard against Ruki's cheek.

"You _will_ be a good respectable kid!" His father's loud booming voice echoed the slightest in the living room. Ruki stared at the floor in front of him, not bothering to expect anyone in the room to come to his aid. His father hit him four more times around his shoulders, yelling out all the faults he saw in his son. He stopped for a moment before starting again, harder rougher blows. Ruki sat still and numbly took the blows as his mother stared at her hands crying silently. When his father grew tired and went back to sit, Ruki stood and walked out of the house, never speaking a word. Ruki walked around the neighborhood till he came to a small empty parking lot of a closed down building. Ruki sat against the building and pulled his legs up, rubbing at his left cheek unhappily. Ruki set his chin on his knees and closed his eyes, trying to think of something positive.

"What's with you two and asking for help?" Ruki jolted as he looked up to see Aoi crouched down and looking at him, his left arm propped up on his left knee holding his chin up, his right hand holding his helmet. Ruki frowned at the teen and set his head back down. Aoi chuckled at the slight childishness of Ruki. "Come on." Aoi pushed at Ruki's head before standing and walking away. Ruki watched him leave slightly annoyed at being pushed before Aoi looked back pushing his hair out of his way to look at Ruki. "What? Wanna be sad all night?" Aoi asked and Ruki frowned deeply before standing and walking toward him. Aoi smiled at the smaller male as Ruki walked slowly behind him. "Do you want to-"

"I'm not talking about it." Ruki snapped and Aoi sighed.

"Ride, my motorcycle." Aoi finished and Ruki sighed himself and ran his hands through his brown layered hair. Ruki stopped walking as both his hands buried in his hair and Ruki crouched down as his shoulders shook slightly. Aoi, who had walked ahead stopped and turned back to notice him crouching. He walked back to Ruki and watched for a second, clenching and unclenching his hands before squatting and hugging the other.

"Go away." Ruki pushed at Aoi, though the other's strong arms held him fast against the muscled chest. "Go away. Go away!" Ruki shouted and his voice cracked.

"Do you want me to?" Aoi asked in his low voice. Ruki glared at the taller teen and Aoi merely raised an eyebrow at the silence from the other. "There's no strings." Ruki continued glaring at Aoi though his pushing had stopped.

"Just…let me go. I don't like people touching me." Ruki spoke quietly as they were so close. Aoi nodded slightly and let go of Ruki who stood and walked back to his house.

"So I found out your secret." Reita sat next to Kai as the history teacher started the lesson. "Along with your name, _Kai_." He looked at the blond before turning to the front.

"You don't listen well." Kai commented and Reita laughed, soft and full of humor Kai held back the sarcastic comment that bubbled up from the back of his mind.

"Not since the day I was born." Reita commented back, looking at Kai for a smile though none came. Reita sighed and glanced down at his paper. Silently wondering why someone looking so innocent would come off as so cold. Kai was silent as he took meticulous notes from the teacher in a thin black notebook. As the teacher talked Reita turned his attention from what the teacher was doing to Kai, trying to figure out the teen out. Reita noticed small light bruises around Kai's neck, frowning slightly he watched Kai closer, trying to figure out how he would get it. Reita had heard about the freaks who liked rough sex, and he meant _rough_ sex, but Kai didn't seem like he was that kind of person. "Your neck is bruised." Reita murmured, his sharp dark eyes noting the flash of disgust in Kai's eyes and wondered if it was toward him.

"Don't look at me so closely." Kai muttered harshly back at him, wondering how Reita had seen though the layers of practiced and carefully applied makeup. "You won't like what you find." Kai's voice held something Reita recognized, though he couldn't remember from where.

"How would you know what I'd like? You don't know me." Reita's voice was just as low as Kai's and Kai let took a deep breath in and out, his jaw clenched.

"I don't _want_ to know you." Kai replied. "I don't even like you sitting next to me." Reita frowned but kept his temper, something about how he acted was so damn familiar…

"Reita!" the teacher shouted making Kai jump.

"What?" He replied without looking away from Kai, trying to figure out what that small red flag in the back of his mind meant. "Is the class over?"

"I asked you a question, do you mind answering it?" The teacher replied sarcastically and Reita looked Kai over once more before turning to face the teacher.

"Sure, just ask the question." Reita answered evenly as he folded his hands like a modeled student, ignoring the angered look from the faculty member.

"Why?" Ruki jumped and threw the sheet back over the painting he had been hiding for half a month, Aoi stood behind him with his arms loosely crossed as he leaned against the table behind him. "You…drew me…half _naked_." Ruki swallowed and braced for Aoi's anger though only found himself cringing to a low throaty laugh that sent a strange shudder through Ruki. "Why?" He asked again.

"I-I don't know okay? It was stuck in my head." Aoi raised a brow and Ruki moved to leave the room though Aoi quickly moved to stop him. Aoi studied him, the blond hair was falling around his face in soft irregular waves, and his dark brown eyes cast down, the kohl in a half circle following his crease. "Let me go." Ruki gasped as he was picked up slightly and cornered against the table in three smooth moves. His head hit the table as he tried to get up.

"So my body, without a shirt, stuck into your head?" Aoi's voice had a velvet quality that made Ruki swallow. "Would you answer my question?" Aoi asked after Ruki didn't reply his eyes staring wide and panicked at Aoi. Ruki pushed at Aoi the soft and baggy black sweater Aoi was wearing instead of the uniform crushed thinly between them. A thin barrier between the two didn't stop an unfamiliar tension to Ruki from rising.

"Because you're strange, annoying and a jackass!" Ruki shouted his breath warm and smelling of Ruki's habit of sticking his brushes in his mouth to make them pointed. Aoi smiled and leaned back, freeing Ruki who leaped off the table and dashed till he was a safe distance from Aoi. "Why do you keep touching me when you know I don't like it?!" Ruki shouted at him, too infuriated to back away from Aoi as the raven kept his smirk and moved closer.

"Why do you visit the same empty parking lot at least twice a week?" Aoi asked back and Ruki's face darkened. Ruki stared at the ground to his left side, jolting as Aoi's hands brushed his cheek, unblemished though they both knew that was only because of makeup. Aoi grew close enough to Ruki that his heart sped from fear and something frighteningly unknown. Aoi bent down till his lips brushed Ruki's pink tipped ears. "Who else is going to show you not every time a hand is laid on you is out of anger?" Aoi heard a small noise as he stared at a small vein in Ruki's pale neck thumping fast from his heartbeat. Silently Aoi turned his head and looked to the door of the room as Kai stood shocked, taking the familiar image of a troubled Ruki. Kai walked quickly in the room, dropping his dark bag and raising his left arm to punch Aoi before the dark haired man could block.

"Back the _hell_ away!" Kai shouted, already angry from Reita and his father. Aoi turned and the two fought as Ruki kept staring at the floor, still preoccupied with processing Aoi and his words and actions. Kai landed a hard blow to Aoi's stomach, Aoi grabbed Kai's shirt from the back, and when the dark brunette turned to shift his weight and Ruki pulled Aoi off of Kai, the thin cotton shirt ripped and Aoi jolted still. Kai took the opening to slam his fist into Aoi's chin, sending him unstably to fall onto the floor, turning himself quickly so he wouldn't fall on Ruki.

"Aoi?! The hell is going on?" Reita entered the room holding Aoi's helmet and keys. He quickly dropped everything and slid his arms underneath Kai's to hold him still as the slender brunette writhed. "Kai what the hell is going on here?"

"He's attacking Ruki!" Kai shouted as he raised his foot and kicked at Reita's knee, wrenching away as Reita let go to hold his knee. Kai tugged Aoi off of Ruki and sat on the raven's stomach and threw a punch to Aoi's face. Ruki quickly caught Kai's fist from hitting a slightly dazed Aoi. "Ruki let me go." Kai growled and Reita paused, noticing the rip in Kai's shirt as Ruki pushed Kai off of Aoi wordlessly, not trusting his voice. When Kai fell off of Aoi Ruki kneeled over Aoi's stomach still looking at Kai.

"Kai…your back…" Reita's voice was soft in light of the fast movements of the previous scene as Kai quickly turned to Reita, hiding his back from him as Ruki helped Aoi up.

"It's a misunderstanding." Aoi finally replied to Reita's question. "I got too close to Ruki while we were talking and Kai misinterpreted." Kai looked back at Ruki who nodded. Reita ignored Aoi and roughly turned Kai around, ripping the shirt off completely to uncover the hickey's and dark bruises Kai covered with clothes instead of makeup. Both Kai and Ruki shouted angrily. "Reita what are you doing?" Reita continued ignoring Aoi as he sighed, his head falling against his hands that rested on Kai's shoulders. Kai quickly shrugged him off as Ruki took his over-sized jacket and handed it to Kai.

"Who did that?" Reita asked. "That's the reason isn't it? The marks on your neck and why you go to such lengths to stay away from everyone." Kai turned from Reita's intense stare and gathered his things, including a small pan that lay on its side.

"His father. He'll never answer you." Ruki replied instead of Kai as the brunette walked silently out of the room. Reita went to go after him but Aoi grabbed his shoulder and stopped him as Ruki ran after his friend. Aoi shook his head disapprovingly at Reita.

"Reita, don't." Reita flung Aoi's hand off of him and grabbed his things.

"Why not?" Reita spouted back angrily at Aoi. "He's getting abused by his dad."

"Would you like it if the roles were reversed?" Aoi commented quietly and Reita sighed.

"That's easy for you to say." Reita replied bitterly, angry at himself for making such a clueless mistake. Aoi hit Reita as he leaned to pick up his helmet. "Yeah sorry."

"Don't need you acting like a wimp, let's figure out what to do about them." Aoi replied knocking Reita with his helmet. Reita snorted slightly and sat at a table with Aoi.

"Kai, come back!" Ruki shouted as the two burst from the front doors of Shari High. The brunette slowed down to collapse on a metal bench, dropping the plastic pan wrapped in tin-foil and his pack. "I'm sorry." Ruki slowed to a stop as the two rasped to catch their breath. "He found out about my father." Ruki huffed out waving off Kai's look of shock. "It was a while ago…you know the parking lot?" Kai nodded as he swallowed to wet his dry throat. "Aoi found me after my father did _his_ thing." Kai frowned, having thought that Ruki's issue with his father had stopped. "After a couple times of him catching me in the same week I think he just went there every day to see if I was having an issue." Ruki gasped and sat on the bench, leaning back. "He stays a good twelve feet from me and just watches me as he sits against his damn _bike_." Kai chuckled as Ruki groaned. "I hate him. What about that blond guy. What's his name?"

"Reita, he's annoying and won't leave me alone; I've done nothing to gain his attention." Ruki was silent for a moment. "He's persistent and brutish." Ruki chuckled.

"We _both_ know that's not true. I don't understand though, we don't do anything to prod them on." Ruki muttered and Kai nodded the two jolting up as they heard people approaching. "Please don't be bullies." Ruki whispered voicing Kai's thought as they turned to see Reita and Aoi still a bit away. "Should we run?" Ruki asked both of them feeling a little vulnerable when confronted with the other two. Kai shook his head and sat heavily against the bench.

"I don't care anymore. What can they possibly do that hasn't already happened to me?" Kai motioned Ruki to the pan and Ruki uncovered the dish, the slightly smashed pastries making his eyes light. "They're your favorite ones I've made right?" Ruki nodded, crouching next to the dish and handing one that was only slightly dented to Kai. He took the cinnamon turn over and peeled off a chunk to eat as the other two caught up. Reita sat gingerly on the bench as Aoi lowered himself to relax gingerly on the ground two feet from Ruki.

"You punch hard. Well, considering." Aoi commented and Kai raised the pastry in a slight salute. Reita gently pushed Kai forward and Kai sighed as Ruki took the pastry back as Kai slid the jacket off. Kai took the turn over back as he set his elbows on his knees.

"Get it out of your system." Kai commented, his cold attitude stronger than before. Reita ran his hand lightly over a long puckered scar that ran from his shoulder to opposite hip. Kai suppressed a shiver from Reita's touch, the other two looking cautiously at Kai and Reita.

"I'm sorry." Reita's voice was quiet and Aoi leaned closer to Ruki as the shorter man held out a piece of turn over to the other. Kai waved Reita off, putting the coat back on. "But you were wrong earlier." Kai looked at him sharply as the two on the ground froze; knowing Kai's anger was something to be avoided, Aoi learning the hard way. "You're going to need friends; you two can't go through…._this_…alone." Reita tapped Ruki's knee with his shoe, smiling slightly as the shorter man glared at him and pushed his shoes away.

"And it's not like _I'm_ going to leave you alone." Aoi smoothly commented as he stretched out his legs, leaning back on his elbows. "Reita's hard headed as well." Reita chuckled slightly and Kai sighed.

"I don't care but if Reita goes too far with Kai and hurts him, I'll be painting next with his blood." Ruki muttered morbidly his dark eyes glaring at the taller blond. Reita gulped retracting his foot. "And don't touch me." Reita nodded as Kai smiled at Ruki's temper.

"We won't, I'll keep tabs on him." Aoi commented. Kai stood as Ruki covered the pan with the foil. "Where are you two going?" Aoi asked as Ruki brushed off his legs.

"My father will beat me if I'm not at home before him." Ruki talked quietly, unused to saying it out loud. Reita eyed Ruki, wondering what went on in his house before looking at Kai.

"What about you?" Reita asked, groaning at a kick from Aoi. "I mean, where are you off to Kai?" Reita's voice lost the blunt quality and the Raven retracted his foot.

"My father will beat my _mother_ if I'm not home before he is." Kai responded simply, his attitude still cold. Aoi grabbed at Ruki's arm as he walked past.

"I'll give you a ride." Ruki could see that Aoi wanted to talk to him, and though he was scared at what the taller man might bring up he went along. Kai didn't glance at Reita as he walked past the blond, and the blond sighed, leaning down to grab his helmet and rubbing his neck. Reita saluted Aoi, his pointer finger touching the middle of his forehead before moving in a small wave. Aoi repeated the sign before turning and sighing, waiting until everyone had left. A few minutes passed as the noise of Reita's motorcycle died out. "Are you mad at me?" Aoi asked, throwing Ruki off, assuming Aoi was going to finish the conversation from earlier and feeling slightly disappointed, though he was unsure why.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Ruki squished a leaf with his foot. "I mean you only invaded my personal space, nearly assaulted me, than attacked my friend instead of explaining the misunderstanding. I wonder?" Aoi chuckled as the shorter male bombarded him with sarcastic comments. Aoi held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, I'm human." Aoi chuckled slightly and Ruki lifted a brow. "I'm sorry; I'll keep it in mind. Anything else?" Ruki paused for a second before chuckling darkly. Ruki righted himself to his full height, though it was still shorter than Aoi.

"Yeah, we're _not_ friends. Remember that and stay _away_ from me." Ruki poked at Aoi's chest. "Got it?" Aoi looked down and chuckled at Ruki before setting his helmet on Ruki's head and roughly pushing the visor down. Aoi smirked as Ruki fumbled and pushed the visor up. Aoi's eyes were a familiar dark with a teasing gleam and Ruki took a step back.

"I _promise_ the next time I touch you, you'll ask for it." Aoi leaned back **smugly**. A moment passed before Ruki simply folded his arms.

"At this rate I won't get home in time." Ruki sighed as Aoi climbed after him on the bike. The black gas tank rumbled to life and Aoi straightened it off the stand.

"Hold on." Aoi called back and Ruki whimpered as the bike shot forward, clutching at Aoi's strong chest and clamping his legs against the machine. Aoi would have chuckled if it wasn't for the almost painful digging that Ruki's nails were trying their best to mimic. As he paused in traffic Aoi reached back and tapped on Ruki's head. "Can you feel when I'm about to move?" Aoi asked and Ruki nodded. "Good mimic what I do so we can drive safely." Ruki frowned then closed the space between them so not even paper could pass. Ruki kept his arms around Aoi's core muscles to feel the muscles contract beneath his touch, his head flat against Aoi's shoulder, his piercings in his ear pressing into the delicate skin behind his ear. Silently he used the chance to relax with warmth that wasn't his own body heat. Aoi shifted, half amused to feel Ruki move with him. Ruki kept his eyes closed as he heard Aoi's heartbeat steadily, his body warm beneath him and tried to remember the last time feeling someone's body like this, meanwhile Aoi smiled slightly, even if Ruki wasn't aware, he was voluntarily touching Aoi. The trip to Ruki's house held traffic and soon as Ruki tensed with worry Aoi popped a curb and took back roads to Ruki's house and had just pulled to the curb as the dark blue car that signaled that his father was home pulled in, thankfully Ruki had gotten off and taken off the helmet and as his father gotten out, not noticing Aoi who had bent behind his bike to fix the kickstand as Ruki almost fearfully held the bike straight.

"What is wrong with you? Can you do nothing right? Why are you just getting here?" Ruki's father started as the door to his car slammed. "Don't tell me this is _yours_." He almost threatened and Aoi straightened and brushed his hands off on his pants. "Who are you?" His face had lost much of the venom, most likely wanting to appear less harsh then before, Aoi contemplated as he looked at Ruki's barely concealed plea from his dark eyes, his back to his father for a moment.

"He's a new student Father, a teacher wanted to talk to me about showing him around town," Ruki paused slightly when the older man shifted and Aoi said nothing about the lie. "But I didn't have time after the talk to get home on my own, so he gave me a ride." Aoi bowed respectfully as Ruki finished, setting the helmet on the seat of the bike.

"Hello, I'm Aoi." Aoi held up his hands and chuckled good-naturedly. "I would shake your hand but…" Aoi wriggled his still dirty hands and Ruki's father took a breath without saying anything, looking between them for a second Aoi lowered his hands and opened the storage compartment on the side of the bike, a small black leather bag and took out a grey rag and started seemingly cleaning his hands.

"Well, you're home in time so if the teachers told you to show him around you better do a good job." It seemed that as he looked Aoi over again and walked inside he didn't notice that both of the males caught the threat at Ruki, not just his son. The door shut and when Aoi noticed a shadow staying in the frosted window of the door he turned to Ruki.

"He's still watching; please don't do anything like before." Ruki muttered before Aoi could warn him. Aoi would have furrowed his brows slightly at the comment but with the ever present shadow Aoi schooled his features to stay the happy-go-lucky teen he played before.

"Alright, well then you got yourself from the house for a couple hours, where do you want to go?" Aoi asked and Ruki glanced quickly up at him. "What? You think I would have blown your cover and laughed at your pain?" Aoi asked sarcastically, regretting it as soon as Ruki flushed the slightest to prove his statement true. "I'm not that cruel Ruki." Aoi straddled his bike and set the helmet on Ruki's head like before as he could see Ruki face crumple in the second before the visor covered his face. Ruki silently got on the bike and Aoi kicked up the stand and started the engine as silently as he could as Ruki held his waist lightly as the rode down the street Ruki didn't need to hold Aoi as he nodded to the left and the made it half down that street before they had to stop for a car and Aoi felt Ruki move closer.

"Don't hold this against me." Ruki was quiet, demure and it made Aoi feel conflicted. Ruki slipped the helmet off of his head and slipped it on Aoi's, and as Aoi watched Ruki slipped headphones and a music player out of his pocket and swallowed. Ruki shifted as if shy as he paused in putting them on. "Can you just drive until…?" Ruki left off and Aoi nodded. He moved as close as he had before with a shy look to Aoi as if he expected the man to push him off the bike. Aoi faced forward as Ruki set his head in the space between Aoi's shoulders and seemed to sink to Aoi. Aoi sighed slightly as he felt something wet meeting his skin through the thin sweater, wondering what he could do, if anything.

The anger between Ruki and Aoi had dwindled to almost nothing, Ruki really only putting a fight to Aoi when he had moved too close, or tried touching him. Reita's and Kai's relationship was just as chaotic, Kai openly almost hitting the blond twice, inciting the others into action. Ruki had evenly repeated his earlier threat, though with more malice. And as the bell for the end of class sounded Ruki stared at the painting, a jet black raven on a branch, clear and crisp with a cloudy sky behind him. The painting had taken Ruki longer and he stared at the finished product. The teacher, albeit a little worriedly, had mentioned that Ruki would have to take his finished projects home to give more room to store newer pieces. Kai sat at a table nearby and both knew what wasn't being said. Kai scratched at his shoulder as he watched Ruki.

"Perhaps if you hid them?" Kai suggested and Ruki sighed, turning from the painting to sit on a chair near Kai and rubbed his forehead with his hands, wanting to run his hands over his face but knowing that he couldn't with the kohl around his eyes and the concealer on his face.

"Not with the routine search Father does to my room." Ruki muttered. "He would beat me for daring to take a class that wouldn't get me anywhere." Kai sighed, his heart aching almost as much as the bruises on his body when he thought about what Ruki went through. Kai pulled Ruki into a hug and sighed, knowing that Ruki didn't want to throw his work away, having to do so already. "I wish one of us had a normal life." Ruki still spoke softly though more because the lack of distance. Kai sighed and sat back as Ruki sat in his chair.

"Or that there was a space your father didn't bother to check." Kai muttered sarcastically and Ruki paused to think, meanwhile Aoi and Reita had come in the room, Aoi a few moments before Reita. Aoi first looked at the finished painting to Ruki's irritation. Ruki stood quickly and went to the small closet in the corner of the class that held all the paintings Ruki had done, fifteen or so paintings, most of them in a medium size though one was larger than the rest. Ruki paused on it before sighing, taking it out with the rest. After setting it on the table Reita shifted through them, some were flowers and others were images that Ruki had drawn first, Reita whistled at the painting of Aoi, knowing his friend enough to recognize his back. Ruki gathered the canvases and wrapped them in a cotton sheet to protect them though Reita frowned slightly.

"Hey are you going to throw them away?" Reita asked and Ruki scoffed slightly.

"I've only thrown one out, I never will again." Ruki replied and Aoi raised his brow but didn't say anything. "Besides that one would be in a landfill by now. I threw it away next to a large dumpster." Reita was about to comment and Aoi made a short motion with his hands.

"What are you going to do with them then?" Aoi asked and Ruki shrugged.

"I can't leave them here anymore, Kai can't take them and my father would beat me if he found I took a class without his permission." Ruki sighed slightly as he deftly knotted the fabric. "But father doesn't search the garage near Mother's old things, so I'll put them near that." Aoi frowned sitting back and trying for Ruki's sake, to think of any holes in his plan.

"What if your mother finds them?" Aoi asked as Reita tried to peek at the paintings again to get hit by Kai. "Would she tell your father?" Chuckling bitterly Ruki shrugged.

"I don't know. She never stands up to him." Ruki revealed ignoring every dark glance downward. "And I already threw a painting out; I'm not throwing these out. It's a bad feeling to throw something you spent so much effort on away." Ruki cleared his throat as he felt a little revealed and Kai set up his pack and smiled. Ruki tightened the ties on the cloth and sighed.

"Well, time to go home." Kai stated, slinging his pack on his shoulder with care as Ruki hefted the canvases off the table as Aoi picked up his and Ruki's pack, noticing a black sketch book fall out and picked it up opening it as he walked. Seeing Ruki's style of drawings and some notes, even large entries as he quickly flipped through the book Aoi slid it carefully into his own pack, hoping he wouldn't be found out. Ruki though was talking with Kai about what it seemed another drawing that they both knew well, as they didn't specify anything and seemed to understand each other. Reita had seen him and with a grin waggled his finger at him though he said nothing, merely turning to face to the two who walked ahead.

"Hey, where are you?" The voice was deceptively calm as Kai huddled behind a trash can. His lower lip was held almost painfully tight by his teeth, he should have known not to help her. Kai resisted making any noise as he crouched to be smaller, his leaner body finally working in his favor. "Hey, I know you're here." The voice came again, slow and closer, Kai pulled out his phone, knowing he didn't want to make this move but knowing he had no chance against the pair of men looking for him. He quickly texted his position, wincing at the chime he forgot his phone made as the text was sent, then winced again as the hand that wound in his head. "Hello." The voice was making him sick; he rather his father was drunk, that at least was better than this, and with _witnesses_. Kai already knew from the treatment he got in that house that the man that walked with his father was drunk beyond reason, and wouldn't help, as every time his father hit him the man let out a cackle. Kai screamed, against his will being dragged by his feet by the drunk man as his father, more sober and therefore more alert, grabbed his thrashing wrists as they picked him up. "You'll see Soo-young; Japan has much more to offer than China." Kai closed his eyes tightly as he twisted his body every way he could think of as the man let out another cackle, finally getting the gist his father was going for. Kai thrashed, he was battered, neglected and burned, but he would not be raped. Kai screamed as they left the alley and grunted lowly as his father let go of one of his hands to beat at his face twice.

"He's lively, maybe we should soften him up?" Soo-young spoke in accented Japanese and Kai struggled as it seemed his father agreed. "Only bad kids run away from home." Kai could feel panic rise as Soo-young clucked his tongue. Starting to kick the man Kai was tossed against a building, Kai's dark-haired head thanking against the concrete foundation. Kai scuttled against the building taking in his large father who he already knew he couldn't fight against, then looking at Soo-young. The man had a similar build and Kai flew at him, fighting in every way he could think of, dirty moves or not. All he needed to do was to buy time, just buy time.

Reita woke with a jolt, he heard the chirping of something, but what would chirp of all things in the middle of the night? Reita shifted in his bed before reaching around on the small wooden stand near his bed for his phone to look at the time. Looking at the screen it took only a moment before Reita launched himself out of his bed. Pulling on jeans and a jacket was all Reita did before slipping on shoes and grabbing his keys.

Kai whimpered low in his throat as his father took hold of his jeans, one pant leg was already badly torn from his escape from his house. Kai himself had several new bruises, the darkest of which was on his right cheekbone. Soo-young had left after they had beaten Kai so much that it hurt Kai to breathe, finding the abuse of the youth a little too much for his drunken mind. Kai would have fought against his father if his hope hadn't dwindled.

"No one's coming you little fucker, stop looking around." His father's words cut a little too deep and the smirk on his face was too cruel. "Think someone would come help you?"

"Help!" Kai screamed as loudly as he could, if anyone would come to help him… Kai was jolted to the side by another rough slap from his father. Harder than when he was drunk with the ability to control himself. Kai fought vainly, knowing his limbs, that couldn't fight against him to begin with, were weak from the gang beating they had done. "Help me!" Kai screamed again, hearing a roaring in his ears as blows landed harsh on his body.

"Shut up you little gay fuck!" Kai jolted as his back was exposed with the sound of ripping cotton. "Shut up! Shut up!" Kai could feel nail scratching gouges in his skin. "I'll teach you to run from me!" Kai squirmed and fought the best he could as his father worked at the buttons on his jeans, feeling his skin come off on the dirty concrete. Closing his eyes tightly Kai curled up as tightly as he could as he felt his father's hands leave him. Kai shook violently as he was sure of what was going to happen next, eventually his body would wear down and his father would get what he always wanted. Kai jolted again as hand ran down his battered arms, scuttling away from the touch before a strong hand on his upper arm dragged him back; the skin on the forearm that dragged against the ground was scratched. Kai curled tightly back up, the desperate self-preservation making it hard for the hands to untangle his arms, but not to slide the loosened ripped jeans several inches off his hips. Kai cried out and clamped his legs together against the hands that were attacking him. Kai renewed his struggle as one hand tugged at the only barrier against his skin and the other beat at his face with sharp jarring blows.

"Help! Reita!" Kai could feel shame boil in him as he called out for help. How dare he rely on someone he regularly pushed away? Kai could feel tears gather as the roaring in his head from the blows seemed to mock him, reminding him of the sound his help would make. He could feel his father grope at his naked back and read before a shout and a grunt was heard, though Kai couldn't move his body was finally too exhausted. And as calloused hands touched his bare arm again Kai twitched but could do nothing more, even open his eyes. And why would he? To see the face his father made as he took him? Kai would rather not.

"Kai…" the soft voice was taunting in its impossibility and Kai screwed his eyes tighter shut. "Kai it's me." Kai gave a soft sob as his eyes opened to see Reita; just a faint light was coming from the sky. "Kai, it's okay, it's over." Kai jumped and rushed from Reita, his eyes slightly glazed and panicked as he looked around frantically and pressed himself into the corner of a dumpster pressed against a building. His breathing became erratic as he didn't see his father coming for him and shook his head violently twice, he could feel himself breaking as he feebly pulled what remained of his clothes back into a semblance of order. How could he fix himself after this? Kai curled on himself, jumping again as arms wound around him. Kai pulled back then he shuttered slightly, his eyes still wide, trying to get over the events of the night as without knowing he had tried to push himself into Reita. Tears spilling from his eyes without sound.

Ruki didn't bother to be careful as he shot downstairs, his phone held tight in his hands. Ruki barreled past the room where his parents slept, clad in thin pajama pants and a large dull gold cotton tee he used as pajamas. Running out barefooted Ruki rushed out of the door to barely slow himself enough to grip Kai in a frantic hug.

"Don't go back, please don't go back." Ruki asked, and Kai sighed, wrapping his bandaged arms around the small framed blond. "Please." Ruki's voice was quiet, voicing concerns he usually kept inside, at least when not one on one.

"It's okay Ruki, I'm sorry." Kai held his closest friend, knowing the feelings running through Ruki. Aoi laid an arm across Reita's shoulders, thankful he had made it in time. The door to the house burst open as Ruki's father came out in a light blue pajama set, his hair ruffled slightly from sleep. He looked at Ruki who was still in close embrace with Kai, and Aoi who had his arm around Reita's shoulders. Aoi dropped his arm out of respect for Reita.

"Get out. You are to never come back. Do you understand this?" Ruki's father stalked to Ruki, his arm raised in anger. "You start commotions and I find you embracing other men!" Kai let go of Ruki in shock, bumping back against Reita who put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "And what's with that one?" his father pointed at Kai. "Do you not know how to not get into fights?" he asked and Kai looked at the ground, knowing his pained face would only give the man a sense of power. Ruki noticed the look and moved closer to his father.

"I'm tired of you!" Ruki shouted at his father, the man taking a step back in concealed shock. "Why is no one good to you? Stop yelling at me and don't touch me! You make me sick!" Ruki continued shouting and Aoi moved closer to him, in case the anger he saw rising in Ruki's father broke free. Aoi paused in shock as Ruki glanced at him quickly and grabbed his ivory tank top; that he had thrown on besides jeans as he got the message about Kai in the shower. "And concerning my sexuality!" Ruki pulled Aoi to him and kissed him, almost a bruising kiss if it wasn't for the plushness of their lips when they met. Kai's eyes widened to put bugs and deer in headlights to shame meanwhile Reita frowned as if he was slightly confused as Aoi just raised a hand to tip up Ruki's chin. Aoi was surprised but by no means was going to push him away while his father was in front of them, and if the soft chapped feeling was what Ruki's lips were always like, he might push him away when they were alone either.

"Stop it!" His father shouted though the kiss was chaste by any means though Ruki's face quickly lost the almost stunned look to glance at his father. "You will not live here!" the two separated as his father went back inside, Ruki started as Kai cleared his throat.

"Well, and here I thought you weren't going to kiss anyone again." Reita commented raising a brow and Aoi chuckled. "What?" Reita asked and Aoi simply tapped his nose, Reita flushed heavily and Aoi smirked at him, crossing his arms in a slightly arrogant position.

"And here I thought you weren't going to forget to put that on in public again." Aoi commented back and Ruki frowned and sank to his haunches and Kai sank with him, though with a wince. Kai set a hand on Ruki's shoulder as Ruki covered his face.

"I have nowhere to go, neither do you Kai…you can't go back." Ruki commented and Kai paused before sinking down on the ground fully himself. "We don't have anywhere."

"Shit…" Kai muttered, not thinking of that, where could he go but home? Reita cleared his throat slightly and raised his brows at Aoi who nodded slightly.

"You really think we would let you live homeless?" Aoi asked and the two on the ground looked up with mirrored confusion. "Relax and rely on someone besides yourselves for once." Aoi made a quick motion at Reita and the blond nodded. "First let's get Ruki's things."

Reita opened the door, walking in cautiously as Kai stayed behind him and Aoi behind Kai, Ruki, they all agreed but him to keep him near the bikes and the borrowed truck. Kai grabbed Reita's shirt and pulled him back, keeping him from stepping on a broken bottle.

"Maybe Kai should lead?" Aoi whispered and Reita nodded silently and moving to let Kai walk past. Leading them down the hall Kai winced self-consciously every time they past a streak of something dried and reddish brown on the wall, the holes and dents in the wall that came from his father's rage, the bottles on the ground and the new trash that came from his father's company. "Kai, after this, I'm never letting you come back here." Aoi remarked and Reita nodded as Kai opened the door to his room.

The bed was ripped opened and Kai gasped at the thoroughly trashed state of his room. Desperately going through the ruins of was once his room throwing things around till he picked up the small painting that had kept him through so many nights. Finding it safe and contact Kai hugged it to his chest, picking up only a handful of objects, slipping them into a dark blue sports bag, the small amount of clothes that had escaped his father's abuse, his uniforms and a few books. Aoi stood watch at the doorway as Reita watched Kai pick up what pieces of his life had escaped taint, seeing the stains on his bed, even ripped open the smell in the room was like through all the house, the stale stench of drink and sweat. Kai shouldered the bag before looking around and turning to leave. Reita followed as Aoi decided the best offense was searching through the house for anything that was dangerous. As Aoi searched the house, wondering if Ruki had scars as deep as Kai had gained, under the surface as well. He hoped that by taking the two out of the houses would solve their pain. Stepping over a shattered mirror on the floor.

Kai went into the kitchen taking out a tin that had a label of cocoa mix and set it in the bag, making Reita frown slightly as he saw how bare the house was. Kai paused for a moment and Reita pushed his luck, drawing Kai close to him, back to chest.

"Why didn't you ask for help sooner?" Reita asked his voice cracking and Kai's face twitched with an emotion to bitter for him to name.

"Because it's all so less painful when you can pretend it's not as bad as it was." Kai replied honestly. "Are you really okay with us living together?" Kai asked and Reita chuckled.

"As long as you don't mind living with someone that can only make spaghetti." A soft chuckle came from Kai; his love to cook had grown apparent with the mass of cooking classes he was in. Reita buried his head in Kai's hair for a moment before letting him go. Kai went then to the hall opening what must have been the pantry, though the shelves had no food, though scotch filled more than one shelf. "Is there any food in here?" Reita asked, worry evident in his voice and Kai shook his head, often his father's drinking had made it hard to even get the bills paid, let alone food. And the abuse made it hard to be in public. Kai bent and pulled from under a sheet a large canvas, though he kept it covered in the sheet, knotting it much like Ruki had done with the canvases that now rested in the back of the truck with Ruki's other possessions. Kai carried the bag and painting out and Ruki sat up at seeing the group leave the house. Kai carefully set his things in the back of the truck, though keeping the small framed painting in his hands and Ruki smiled, recognizing the frame. Kai looked at the house and sighed, knowing at some point the shock would wear off and the fractures he could feel would break him apart. Kai and Ruki climbed in the back of the truck as Aoi and Reita sat up front, driving and chatting the time passed by without a large hiccup. Kai and Ruki sat in the back side to side each wrapped in their own thoughts. Kai looked over at Ruki, worried by the frown between his brows and feeling like he should lessen the tension surrounding the painter.

"Ruki?" Kai asked shifting slightly to move closer, a small smile on his face. "Remember how we met?" Kai asked and Ruki chuckled slightly.

"You were trying to murder a nurse for touching you when you came out of sedatives." Ruki replied and Kai smiled again. "You were always such a fighter." Ruki frowned slightly at the sentence. "I never fought back, I just took it." Ruki's eyes grew dark and Kai sighed.

"I wish I had been a little more like you, being able to take the abuse, able to dust yourself off and still create beautiful things." Kai looked down at the painting in his lap, the smiles on their faces seeming almost mocking. "Sometimes I wished I could have been sent back to the hospital, that way I knew he couldn't do anything with all the people nearby." Ruki's smile mirrored Kai's. "Anyway, um…" Kai paused slightly blushing lightly. "Is Aoi a good kisser?" Ruki quickly looked at the window to the cab of the truck seeing it open and knowing they could hear them if they could faintly hear the radio. Not seeing any sign that they were listening as Aoi lit a cigarette Ruki blushed and nodded slightly.

"He is, though I didn't know kissing a guy would be like that." Ruki tried to self-consciously close the window, as they were sitting with their backs to it, though the window was stuck. "I hope he doesn't hear." Ruki scooted closer to Kai, as they sat as if planning something devious. Kai smiled as he caught a softer look on Ruki's face.

"Ru, that was your first kiss… you have to give me more details than that!" Kai pressed and sighed. "And since when did you swing the fruity way?" Ruki smiled and shrugged.

"I think I didn't really think about it till father said those things." Ruki paused biting at dry skin on his lip slightly. "I mean if I got more excited drawing Aoi's back more than a fully naked female it should be a strong indication right?"

"But you've drawn fully naked males too." Kai reminded him and Ruki flushed.

"But they weren't like Aoi…I can't explain it." Ruki sighed and Kai smiled widely.

"I think you like him Ru." Ruki smiled at Kai's good mood, happy to see Kai using his old nickname for Ruki, back when things hadn't gotten quite as bad.

"What about Reita?" Kai flushed at Ruki's question. "Have you two done anything?"

"I cried on him, more than once." Kai grew quiet as Ruki took a startled breath in. "I was so shaken from what they did and hurt so bad. I think I was trying to get as close to him as possible. This is embarrassing." Kai covered his face and Ruki chuckled. "Then after they checked me up at the hospital and the doctor asked if I had asked for it, if I was a hooker." Ruki frowned deeply and Kai chuckled lightly. "Reita punched him, and seeing someone stand up for me over something so little, I'm not used to it. I was very emotional. Then we sent the news out and you know the rest. Have you cried Ru?" Kai asked, knowing Ruki hated crying near people more than he did. Ruki sighed and laid his head against the truck as they stopped.

"Well, he would watch me try to bring myself together at the parking lot so often, but I never _cried_ cried until I showed him around town, really I was crying on his back as he figured it out himself." Ruki frowned at himself and Kai patted his leg. "He smells good." Ruki muttered as if it was a carnal sin. "It makes it hard to stay unaffected." Kai burst into laughter startling everyone. Reita swerved slightly and Ruki jumped. "Kai!"

"Wh-hat? Has it really been that long since I laughed?" Kai asked, small chuckles still leaving him. Ruki raised a brow as Reita in the car muttered to himself.

"You laugh less often than me Kai." Ruki replied and Kai frowned.

"Ah, that makes me a little sad, you never laugh Ruki." Kai sighed slightly, his good mood deflated slightly until he saw the happy grin on Ruki's face. "What?"

"Did you see his face?" Ruki asked turning so everyone could hear him clearly, shouting slightly. "Father's face?" Ruki asked with mirth apparent in his voice. "It was like someone was squirting lemons in his eyes!" Ruki laughed then, the sound warm and almost child-like.

"You should have seen Reita's face!" Aoi replied. "It was like someone had shown him that his childhood had all been a lie!" The laughter continued as Reita shouted in fake anger and swatted Aoi. Aoi swatted him back as small chuckles left the two in the back.

"Your laugh is cute Kai! You should do it more often!" Reita yelled to the back laughing as Kai reached inside and swatted him. "Yours too Ruki!" Ruki flushed and looked down as Aoi shouted agreement and Kai joined in. "It's like angels falling to earth, the sound their bodies make when the crash and all!" Reita continued and Ruki reached in and pulled down the strip of fabric around his nose.

"Idiot!" Was all Ruki replied as Aoi looked at him with the shadowed smile Ruki had grown to recognize. Ruki then sat against the window and flushing as Kai did the same.

"This is where we'll be Kai." Reita opened the door with dark metal numbers on door, the paint peeling slightly. As the four went in the house, Reita raised his hand to brush a wind spinner, the twisted metal showing a charm in the middle that made a faint whistle sound. The ceiling the two's attention as Aoi and Reita set Kai's things on the couch as Ruki held the larger painting and Kai held the smaller painting. Small metal charms of amazing design rose to cover the ceiling, rising quickly to stay out of the way of anyone's heads. The sounds were like a rush of chimes in a breeze and the sound of rain on tin mixed together. Reita watched a slight wonder cover Kai's face as a small smile lit on Ruki's face as he noted the charms were varied.

"You made this?" Ruki asked, disbelief in his voice making Reita chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm in a metal works class, if it's metal and in here, I probably did it." Reita walked out of the room motioning them to follow. The house had simple designs, usually reminiscent of the style of art Reita did; everything was white red or a tone of silver. Reita didn't open one door with a chuckle. "My bedroom." Reita hit Aoi as he snorted at the bashfulness he showed. "Shut up only you has been in my house, the next one's yours Kai." Reita motioned at the door next to his bedroom and Kai paused before opening it. The room was a caramel color, obviously a guest room though everything was neat and plush. Kai took in the room as Ruki set the sheet covered painting against the wall and slowly grabbed Kai's hand and silently pulled him into the room, Kai jolted looking down to see his feet sink slightly in the dark carpet, remembering the ratty carpet in his room, his old room. Kai corrected himself.

"This…is…mine?" Kai asked and Reita chuckled. Aoi elbowed him gently.

"Yeah, hang whatever you want, design it however you want. I don't care." Reita walked in the room and pulled the curtains from the window, showing the neighborhood in the twilight of the early morning. Kai walked to sit on the bed as Aoi coughed slightly.

"Well, Ruki, we still need to get you settled in, unless you want to stay longer?" Aoi asked and Ruki looked at Kai, and Kai waved them away before grabbing Ruki's shoulder.

"Ah, first, can I hang something up?" Kai asked and Reita nodded.

"Yeah of course you can, let me get the hammer and nails." Reita moved out of the room as Ruki frowned in confusion. Kai motioned to the painting in Ruki's arms.

"If you want me to hang it up that is." Kai murmured and Ruki chuckled, a low soft sound. Bumping Kai's arm in a friendly matter Kai smiled in reply. Ruki kneeled and started to undo the knots in the two foot tall painting. Reita came back and raised a brow at the back of the painting, a piece of wood held the back secure to a plain metal frame. Ruki and Kai reverently dropped the sheet showing the painting. "I hid it from father." Ruki nodded brushing it over the strokes of paint he had made so long ago.

"Wow Kai…" Reita breathed as he took in the painting. It was a trim back, pristine except from a long pink scar like Kai's running from the left shoulder to the right hip, black jeans and the edge of grey underwear hanging on his hips as Kai's hands were reaching in his hair, showing muscles that so rarely rose from his lean frame. The painting was shadowed and was mournful, obviously of a Kai that wasn't as beaten as he was now, his head turned slightly so you could see his high cheek bones. "I forgot how you look when you're not glaring at me." Reita joked dispersing the tense stress that had started to drag Kai into reflection of times he didn't want to know. "Where does it go?" Reita asked and Kai turned to Ruki who frowned while looking around the blank walls. Ruki shifted and Aoi raised his brows.

"Where does the window face? Ruki asked and Reita thought slightly.

"To sunset I think." Ruki pointed to the wall opposite the window.

"Right here." Ruki commented then glanced at Kai. "I'm going to get something." Ruki commented then rushed out. Aoi chuckled as he left as Kai looked in confusion.

"He had to hop to hit the spot on the wall." Aoi commented with laughter in his voice and Reita chuckled. Kai gave a small smile and looked at the painting in his hands.

"How come he doesn't laugh?" Reita asked as he nailed two nails to hang up the painting. And Kai sighed sitting on the bed he could now call his, not talking for a moment.

"He lost his humor, lost everything but a bitterness that he shouldn't have." Kai sighed rubbing at his arms, his fingers brushing over the bandages on his arms. "We met in a hospital, Ruki needed surgery and my father had caused my scar." The mirth in the room died a long brutal death. "He…" Kai paused for a moment and sighed. "He had seen the looks my father gave me and knew what was going on too quick, and tried to help." Kai stopped and took a breath of air, still staring at the carpet. Ruki came into the room with two other paintings, all only a foot wide, a half foot long. Ruki glanced at Kai with a small half smile that held no happiness.

"My father bloodied my lip in anger at me butting into someone else's affairs," Ruki finished. "They looked into our families for abuse; my father paid the investigators off, Kai's father still hadn't sunken as low as he couldn't hide what he did to Kai." Reita sighed as Ruki motioned that the paintings went on either side of the portrait. Kai saw them and sighed.

"Ruki, you can't just give them to me." Kai admonished as Ruki smiled at him.

"What else can I give you for your birthday?" Ruki asked and Reita dropped his hammer.

"Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?" he asked, almost angry at missing the event. "We would be three days late celebrating it!" Reita huffed in anger to Kai's amusement.

"You missed Ruki's completely; it's before yours." Ruki shot him a glance of irritation as Reita's anger was turned to him. Reita was about to yell at the shorter blond before grinning.

"You memorized my birthday?" Reita asked and Aoi chuckled.

There was a small cake on the table; it illuminated the dark wood and the soft faces of Kai and Ruki. On the other side of the table sat Aoi, using the zippo that Kai had took to collecting to light a smoke and Ruki watched him slightly, still conflicted. They had spent a week, Kai and Ruki, out of their houses, in the homes of the others. Ruki at the least was startled to find that Aoi had a job outside of school, as a waiter in a coffee café; Reita worked and had an allowance that his grandmother had left him. Kai looked at him and jolted his elbow a moment before Aoi noticed his staring. Reita was humming 'Happy Birthday' and Kai counted to three and the two blew out the candles. Ruki watched the smoke rise from the candles the small chocolate cake had creamy chocolate frosting and gold lettering telling them both happy birthday. Ruki stood and avoiding the glances of the others he wandered to what was now his room. Most of Aoi's guest room, that was now his room, was a basic caramel brown and black color scheme, which suited Ruki fine; he wouldn't be used to a room he was comfortable in anyway. He sat on the bed and ran his hands over his face, startling when the bed sank with him. He looked to see Kai with a similar expression that Ruki had.

"I've never had someone do this for me, am I acting alright?" Kai asked and Ruki sighed, rubbing the back of his friend knowing that though he still preferred others to not touch him, they both had almost a family sort of bond. "What if we simply can't live under normal circumstances anymore?" Kai asked and Ruki bit his lip, the thought had occurred to him as well, almost expecting the race that was his rush to get out of the house before his father, unused to Ruki's silent, but kind attitude. "He helps with my nightmares, and I know he finds me attractive." Kai mumbled. "I'm so used to people taking what they want from me, aside from you of course." Kai motioned to Ruki off-handily and he chuckled at Ruki's small frown. "I offended him when I asked if he wanted some reimbursement for the room and everything else." Moving to sit more solidly on the bed Kai seemed as if he was tormented by a question.

"So what's the problem? If he's not going to treat you like you have before?" Ruki asked and Kai sighed running his hands across his face. There was a moment of silence and Ruki repressed his urge to draw his friend back into an embrace.

"I don't want to be hurt again. Not by him, not by Reita. He saved me, brought me out of there. I don't want to…" Kai stopped his throat closing up on him and Ruki nodded.

"He's someone you value now; it hurts the most when they let you down." Ruki finished and Kai let out a mirthless laugh. "Even out of the houses we can't forget them." Ruki muttered.

"I want him to though, to take what he wants from me." Kai breathed as if he was sure God would strike him down. "I've never wanted anyone to touch me like that but it's all I can think about." Glancing at Ruki with eyes as Kai expected Ruki to punch him anger.

"Kai, you like him." Kai seemed to crumple at the sentence from Ruki. "It doesn't make your father right to abuse you; just as wanting to kiss Aoi again doesn't mean mine is right either." Kai looked at Ruki with a smile. He leaned close and pressed his lips to Ruki's forehead.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to get through this without you." Kai muttered and Ruki laughed. Ruki pushed him away, knowing he wasn't the only one unused to this was far more than enough to push the dark mood from today away.

"We have your first birthday cake to eat." Ruki commented and when they entered the room it seemed Reita and Aoi was arguing. Ruki gulped and looked at Kai, the two quickly standing close to each other as Reita shook Aoi's shoulders angrily.

"You can't do that! You know you can't!" Reita shouted before seeing the two and quieting, Aoi turned to see the two standing uncertainly in the hallway and Aoi motioned them closer. Reita sighed and rubbed at his face before noticing Kai's startled and uneasy expression. "It's okay Kai, we just have arguments." Reita's voice was back to the gentle rumble that Kai had grown used to in the days he stayed at his house. "That's all." Ruki glanced at Aoi who smiled as he lit another cigarette, eyeing the blond with surprise as Ruki's pale hand shot out to grab the item from Aoi's lips, taking a drag on it before sticking it back in Aoi's mouth. Aoi blinked as both Ruki and Kai took a cigarette from a slightly crushed box of Marlboro's in Ruki's jacket. The two lighted the cigarette habitually from touching the ends together, Ruki drawing in to heat the end of his. Aoi and Reita shared a glance at the two as both of them sighed. Kai looked at the cigarette with a chuckle as Ruki set his hand on his forehead leaning on the table and blowing smoke to the ceiling. "You smoke?" Reita asked as if in wonder, both of them not seeming the type to have had the chance to start smoking. Kai chuckled.

"Not menthols," He paused at a push from Ruki. "But yeah, Marlboro Reds."

"You never stop surprising me." Reita murmured taking a box from his own box. "Explains why you always smelled lightly of stale smoke." Reita commented.

"That would actually be from me." Ruki clarified. "I'm the bigger smoker, he does it when stressed." Ruki spoke with the cigarette in his mouth, not noticing how Aoi watched the slim white tube bobble in his mouth, his eyes darkened and distant. "Let's eat though."

A muffled scream hit Reita and he shifted, jolting awake at the second one. The third one had him running to Kai's room to see the brunette twisting in his sheets, his delicate features contorted in a pained expression. Reita groaned, another nightmare, another in the same night. Kai wasn't going to get better if this kept happening. He gently shook Kai awake.

"Kai, wake up Kai." Reita repeated till Kai woke with a jolt, unshed tears falling down his cheeks as he jolted upward. A short glittering trail in the moonlight then ending as the momentum of Kai waking shot them to the pale green sheet wrapped tightly around Kai's legs.

"I…I'm sorry." Kai muttered, almost out of breath from the force of his dreams. "This must be-" Kai broke off as Reita rubbed the tear paths off his cheeks and sighed.

"I'm tired Kai, after you have your nightmares I can barely fall back asleep." Reita admitted, though the darkness of the bags under his eyes already told of the fact. "Instead of me staying here until you sleep can I suggest something?" Reita asked and Kai nodded, sure that Reita was going to stop waking him from his dreams. "Sleep in my room tonight, that way I don't have to worry." Kai stared at Reita taking in his face unobstructed, his nose not unusual, though Kai had half-expected it to be. Kai realized he hadn't replied as Reita shifted.

"Are you sure?" Kai asked softly and Reita chuckled.

"I can imagine worse things than having you in my bed." Reita chuckled again and rose and Kai untangled himself shyly, the large light blue tee and his boxers seemingly too little all at once. "Come on." Reita murmured guiding Kai into his room, Kai following, not sure what to expect as he'd never seen Reita's room. Mostly white and purple things Kai saw a metal mobile made of what seemed distorted and chemically treated to shine a rainbow black. Kai was about to sit on the padded chair in the corner of the room that Reita used to sleep and Reita sighed. "Are you averse to sleeping in the same bed?" Reita asked and when Kai shook his head blushing, though Reita couldn't tell in the low light. "Then we'll both use the bed."

Ruki jolted as he dropped a painting, the sharp noise of clattering canvas covered wood making him wince. There was a knock to his door and Ruki answered wincing, expecting yelling. Instead there was a yawning Aoi, shirtless with his hair mussed and loose around his shoulders, his dark eyes glazed. In his hand was a steaming mug of coffee, Ruki could smell the strong aroma from where he stood.

"Decided to let you know coffee is ready, since you're up." Aoi yawned again. "I hate mornings." He mumbled walking away as Ruki nodded. Not noticing the blush on Ruki's eyes until he turned, a small smile growing on his face as he sipped at the coffee. "I like your pajama's." Aoi called back and Ruki flushed harder and jolted back into his room and closed the door, he only wore a long white tee to bed not liking too many clothes and not wanting to wear his usual outfit of a cotton soccer uniform to bed. Ruki leaned back against the door before putting on jeans; the group was going out, not anyplace special he was told. Spending most of the day at the park then going on whim for the rest of the day. Ruki left his room to see Aoi hadn't gotten dressed yet and was leaning against the counter reading a magazine as he drank the coffee, neither of the two liked to eat anything when they first woke.

"Um…," Ruki started, grabbing the ivory mug with wisteria painted on it in the usual style he now associated with Aoi's work. Filling it with coffee and adding the creamer, not quite able to stomach the black coffee like Aoi could. "I never asked but, were you mad?"

"With what?" Aoi glanced at him and Ruki glanced away from looking at the slim contours of Aoi's hips. Ruki swallowed and took a quick drink of his coffee.

"About when I kissed you in front of my father." Ruki clarified, not looking at Aoi. A slow chuckle drew his eyes to Aoi. Aoi had mirth glimmering in his dark eyes as he crooked a finger to Ruki silently beckoning the shorter male closer. Ruki stoop only a foot from Aoi, his face a sharp but subtle shade of pink and his heart racing like it had before, like it always did when he got close to Aoi. The raven haired man set his cup on the counter behind him and smirked at Ruki before tipping his chin up with black painted nailed fingers. His pointer finger pushed Ruki's chin up, the finger flattening against the underside of Ruki's chin before turning over, his nails scratching at the slight stubble on Ruki's face.

"The only thing I'm mad about is how short it was, I thought I made myself clear enough before, but I guess not." Aoi moved fluidly off the table keeping his darkened eyes on Ruki's wide ones. Ruki's lips parted in confusion and Aoi grabbed Ruki's thin hips and set him on a stool, evening the distance of their heights. "I would let you in any circumstances touch me however you want." Ruki flushed darker and Aoi smirked. "I'm half-way in love with you Ruki, and there's nothing you can do about it." Ruki stiffened in shock.

"Why?" Was all Ruki could breathe out and Aoi straightened away from the painter with a low laugh. "Why?" Ruki asked again looking puzzled and shocked at Aoi.

"Come on there's something you should see." Aoi motioned Ruki to follow him, moving into his room Ruki stopped hesitantly at the door, everything was white, ivory or black, what Ruki knew to be Aoi's favorite colors. Aoi turned on the light and pointed to the wall that the door was on and Ruki stepped in carefully, thought the room was almost perfectly cleaned, only a corner of books and manga's was in a state of clutter. Ruki jolted still, there, one of the few things that decorated the wall, was the painting that Ruki had thrown away, the only painting Ruki had thrown. It was of two people Ruki had seen fighting, one with streaked blond light brown hair, the other had short black hair. The one with black hair was turned away from Ruki, therefore away from the painting. The streaked blond had the others left arm in a tight grasp. The emotion rolling from it was painful, like the moment where every doomed relationship goes sour, when you realize your lover isn't what you thought. Ruki had thrown it because the scene and the painting had hurt his heart too much. But it had been the only painting he signed. "I used to date a man before I came here, manipulative, cruel, yes but sweet and caring when he wanted to be." Ruki glanced back in confusion and Aoi chuckled. "It's us, my ex and I in your painting."

"No they were tourists, from another part of the country." Ruki murmured. "They were fighting about when to go home." Ruki remembered at least that part clearly.

"Yeah I used to live about two towns over and when we broke up I came back to relive the moments and I found this. Took it as a sign and moved here." Aoi chuckled again. "It reminds me of the past and how easily I was led away from who I wanted to be." Ruki felt like dropping to the floor, thought the painting was so long ago he had thought while he was painting that the raven was beautiful, even in sadness. The fact that it ended up being Aoi was too, perfect. "Your painting led me to you." Aoi murmured and smiled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ruki asked, though he doubted he would believe it.

"I didn't know until I saw your painting of me. Then I wanted to keep it a secret, something I could cherish. As far as I know I'm the only one with two paintings of myself done by you." Aoi laughed at himself slightly. "I wanted that for myself."

"Three." Ruki muttered and Aoi frowned.

"What?" Aoi asked leaning closer. And Ruki scratched at his cheek not looking him in the face. Ruki stood and walked to his room, knowing Aoi would follow and scratched his eyebrow as he pointed to his wall. On there, in plain black painted wood frames were side by side portraits, Aoi looking down, his eyes lined in smudged kohl, his black lip piercing in before Aoi had taken it out after the fifth time he caught it on his helmet, the small diamond nose piercing as well, his dark haired pulled back in almost a rocker fashion, his ear piercings easily seen, next to it was the raven he had painted before attached. The two paintings went well together, Ruki already knew this but he had again painted Aoi without him knowing.

"Three paintings." Ruki muttered and Aoi moved closer, the painting was so life like on both of them, an ability of Ruki's that Aoi had never gotten used to.

"It's from when I met Kai isn't it?" Aoi asked looking back and Ruki nodded sitting on his bed and looking down at the ground as Aoi continued looking at the painting. Ruki was always so self-conscious once the finished piece was done. "So detailed…" Aoi breathed and Ruki flushed. "I can almost tell what I was thinking at the moment, even if it wasn't me looking." Aoi laughed and Ruki bit his lip looking down missing Aoi moving closer to him.

"I just, wanted to paint it." Ruki wrung his hands and Aoi kneeled in front of him, pressing the smaller male into a kiss that was quick and almost spontaneous. Ruki swallowed in shock and took in the cheerful look on Aoi's face. Aoi kissed him again, his brown eyes warmer than melted chocolate. Ruki could feel a flush among other things growing in him.

"I love how you paint me." Aoi remarked and Ruki turned red, darker than he thought possible, now knowing the emotion that made Aoi's eyes so warm.

"So still you sleep with Reita, _non_-_sexually_, to keep nightmares from happening?" Ruki asked as the other two sat near the foosball table and had the re-match Reita declared earlier. "How is it working?" Ruki asked when Kai nodded. Kai looked quickly at Reita to see if the blond was looking before leaning closer with a troubled expression.

"Do you ever you know, pop one without any sexual provocation?" Kai asked with a red face and Ruki burst into laughter at the almost shamed look on Kai's face. Reita shouted in victory over his score as Aoi looked over quickly to see what had gotten Ruki to laugh; Reita paused in his celebrating as he noticed the other two. Kai was kneeling on his chair with one knee on the table leaning over and holding Ruki's mouth silent.

"You shouldn't do that in those pants." Reita commented smirking as Kai launched himself back into his seat with a frown, having to grab the table to keep him from falling backward. "What? You don't like me looking at your ass?" Reita asked, dodging a punch from Aoi. "Have I not been clear? You would have to lose your entire backside for me to not be interested!" Reita teased thought Kai had noticed his eyes, if not his voice was serious and flushed. Aoi finally hit a solid blow on Reita as Ruki threw fries at him. Aoi noticed the waiter bringing the last of their food and moved to sit next to Ruki, who despite the teasing from Reita, moved closer with a pink face. Aoi linked their hands and Kai smiled, seeing the happiness on Ruki's face clearly even if it was hard for others. The waiter ignored the obvious homosexual gesture and set the food on the table, the diner demanded that employees not torment customers and the waiter could care less.

"Kai, are you really bothered by what Reita says?" Aoi asked and Kai shook his head. Eating instead of replying, he had lived with Reita for over a month, and though Ruki's relationship had flourished, Kai's own had stayed at a stand-still, the reason Reita assumed to be from the abuse that Kai suffered under his father, and because of that never half-forced himself to touch Kai like Aoi had done. Kai on the other hand wasn't sure how to tell Reita how he felt. "So why do you hit him?" Aoi asked and Ruki gave a half-snort.

"Kai has a habit of lashing out when made embarrassed, whether or not he actually wants the attention. If he flushes, he wants it if he doesn't then he doesn't." Ruki winced as a napkin flew into his face, Kai frowning at him. "Well if you're mad at me just say something personal about me Kai." Ruki replied to Kai's unvoiced protests.

"Ruki has wet dreams about Aoi." Kai blurted out and Ruki flushed deeply, not thinking he had made Kai that angry, though Aoi just gave a low chuckle.

"I know I thought he was having a bad dream one time." Aoi glanced at Ruki before replying. "And since he was fine I stayed for the show." Ruki smacked at Aoi as Reita laughed and Kai frowned, his pay-back backfiring, he jolted then as he felt a familiar calloused hand on his leg, as another slid a paper napkin over to him. Kai looked at it, guessing it was another game that Reita liked like tic-tac-toe. Instead was another note, the kind Reita hadn't done since they first met. _'Should I test Ruki's theory?'_ As Kai read the hand on his legs moved in and farther up, Kai stiffened and glared at Reita but even Aoi could see the faint pink on his cheeks, and Reita let out a large smile. "Ruki's telling the truth. Even I've noticed." Aoi commented and Reita grinned though Kai spat that it was not true and prompted a large smack on the head for Reita.

"Hey Kai, come here I have a present." Reita called and Kai left his room for the living room, starting the metal ceiling chimes as he passed the entry. Reita sat on the cough as Kai walked in and Kai moved to sit politely away as Reita pointed to a black box on the table. Kai leaned forward uncrossing his ankles as he did so as he could grab the box easier. Inside the objects clinked slightly and Kai frowned though Reita wouldn't meet his gaze, opening the box was a ring that Kai had seen Reita wear though smaller to fit his fingers. "Um, you don't have to wear it." Reita commented quickly. "Just thought it would look nice." Reita muttered almost bashfully covering his mouth as he spoke with one hand and looking away. Kai debated it before sliding it on his hands, amused o find it fit his thumb and his ring finger.

"Thank you." Kai murmured and as Reita lowed his hand to smile Kai quickly kissed him before he lost courage. "But I still hate you teasing me." Kai commented getting up to go back to his room and yelping when Reita dragged him down onto his lap.

"I have something to admit." Reita continued and Kai eyed him warily. "When I wake up and see you sleeping so nicely next to me and curled up to me, I kinda," Reita muttered the next part though Kai heard and flushed heavily already feeling proof against his leg as he sat on his lap. "Is that a problem?"

"Not if you like being frustrated." Kai quipped yelping again as Reita kissed him.

"Why do I love someone who's so mean to me?" Reita asked and Kai flushed muttering 'I love you too.' As he left the room as Reita smiled at the dark flush on Kai's face. Waiting till Kai left the room to congratulate himself, then quickly chasing after Kai, wondering how far he could push him now that new information was in play.


End file.
